Is Academic Decathlon Worth It? Everything You Need To Know
by
Indigo Research Team
&
Published:
February 6, 2024
Last Updated:
December 1, 2024
Facing fears like public speaking and pushing personal limits can be daunting, especially for young individuals making their way to college. How about we tell you there's a unique way to tackle these challenges before college? Enter the Academic Decathlon, often known as "AcDec." This decathlon provides high school students with the chance to move forward academically, tackling college-level material through team competition.
Beyond polishing comprehensive intellectual growth, this demanding competition offers participants a platform to showcase their talents and knowledge across a really diverse range of disciplines. Moreover, the Academic Decathlon Competition provides students with invaluable life skills, making it a beneficial experience for both participants and the community as a whole.
The U.S. Academic Decathlon tasks teams with delving into a given theme. Academic Decathlon Past Themes included subjects ranging from science to art. Then, the teams are required to construct compelling arguments that they will then debate against other high-achieving students nationwide, all competing for medals and recognition.
Every year, the decathlon selects a new theme for students nationwide to compete in, making each year's competition unique. Students can take part in the decathlon multiple times, encountering different themes to master over the years.
For the 2020-2021 curricular year, the U.S. Academic Decathlon theme was The Cold War. So, in academic decathlon subjects, specific general topics are chosen to align with The Cold War. For example, literature involved critical reading of Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and other shorter works.
When it comes to art, it concentrated on art fundamentals and explored art during the Cold War. For Music, it highlighted musical works from the Cold War era and so on. This year the theme is Technology and Humanity and the deadline to apply National Academic Decathlon 2024 is 15th February 2024.
The Academic Decathlon Events consist of five main events. Let's look at them in detail -
1. Speech
The first one is about speaking. Decathletes talk for up to four minutes about a topic they choose. For the academic Decathlon prepared speech topics, it's suggested to pick a topic early and practice a lot.
After that, they have to speak without preparation for up to two minutes on a surprise topic. How you handle pressure in this situation shows what kind of leader you are, and this might be something college admissions people are interested in.
2. Essay
After the speech event, the second event is the essay competition. In this part, Decathletes get 50 minutes to write the best essay they can. It's crucial to study the given theme so that you have enough information to write about it.
3. Interview
In the interview section of Academic Decathlon, Decathletes get seven minutes to respond to questions about themselves. Similar to the process of applying to college, Decathletes must showcase personal qualities that both admissions counselors and judges find appealing.
It's important to consider your background, interests, and goals during this part of the competition.
4. Test of Knowledge
In the Knowledge Tests, Decathletes have seven multiple-choice exams covering different subjects like Art, Music, Social Science, Science, Economics, Literature, and Mathematics.
Good academic decathlon scores help Decathletes get better at thinking critically and answering test questions. It's not just useful for the decathlon but also for other big tests like the SAT and AP exams.
5. Super Quiz
Lastly, there's the super quiz, where decathletes and their eight teammates take turns tackling multiple-choice challenges in front of a live audience.
If you make it to the nationals final, you work together with two teammates to find the best answer to each question before time runs out.
So the question arises: is academic Decathlon hard? Well, it's not exactly like a walk in the park, but with the right resources and practice, you can ace it.
A team in the Academic Decathlon has nine students from grades nine to twelve, all from the same high school. The team is divided into three groups: honors (top GPA), scholastic (middle GPA), and varsity (lower GPA).
It's important to start participating in the Decathlon early, from the ninth grade, to compete more and to have credits to list on your college application.
Each team member takes part in all ten events. The scoring considers six out of the nine members, with two from each GPA category. Schools can join with fewer than nine students, but they need to have representatives from each GPA group.
To show that teams are eligible, high schools send their student's academic records to the United States Academic Decathlon.
And if you are asking yourself, is academic Decathlon good for college? Being part of the Academic Decathlon can really help a student's chances of getting into college and getting scholarships. People who decide who gets into college and who gets scholarships understand that it takes hard work, a lot of effort, and being smart to do well in this contest.
There are different categories for which decathletes can win titles. There are 3 different divisions: first, second, and third for winners. Then there is the Rookie of the Year, Kristin Caperton Award, Founders Scholarship, Most Improved Student, Norman Katz Scholarship, B. Franklin Reinauer II Economics Priize and Edwin Reaves, and Esq. Social Science Prize
It's crucial to seek out new challenges during high school, even if you've never experienced teamwork or public speaking. High school is an ideal time to develop skills and earn recognition, especially through a national program like the Academic Decathlon. If you want to take another path, these research opportunities for high school students will be useful for you.
Pushing yourself not only enhances your chances in college admissions but also contributes to your personal growth.
Engaging in the Academic Decathlon is an excellent opportunity to explore unfamiliar subjects, discover more about yourself, enhance your resume, and also maybe make new friends.
The decathlon is a perfect extracurricular activity for high school students that not only gives them extra credits and scholarships but also helps them get admission to top universities.
Yes, Academic Decathlon is worth it. It's a challenging and interesting experience that helps you learn new skills like speaking in public and working in a team.
Being part of it can improve your college applications because it shows you're serious about doing well in school. You also get to learn about different subjects and grow as a person.
Overall, it depends on what you want, but many students enjoy it and find it rewarding.
Yes, the Academic Decathlon is prestigious and has gained global recognition for its high standards, prestige, and outstanding quality.
The benefits of Academic Decathlon include polishing a student's skills when it comes to public speaking, research, and reasoning while instilling the value of teamwork in them.
Yes, the academic Decathlon is an extracurricular activity that is intellectually challenging.
The school that has the best Academic Decathlon is Granada Hills. It has been incredibly successful in the Academic Decathlon, securing the top spot in the national rankings in 7 out of the last nine competitions.
Students from every GPA bracket can apply for the academic Decathlon.
Students debate, take quizzes and general tests, and, most importantly, network in the academic Decathlon.
Yes, the Academic Decathlon gives scholarships. There is a Founders Scholarship and a Norman Katz Scholarship that students can obtain.
The number of people in a team is 9. You can participate with a lesser number of participants, but you need a participant from every GPA bracket.
Yes, it is a national event held in the United States every year.
El Camino Real Charter High School won the 2023 academic decathlon, marking their ninth victory.
No, it's a competition. Academic Decathlon is a nationwide program focused on academic excellence in high schools. It's a class as well as a club. All the competitions are open to all high school students regardless of their club or class status. And the final team of nine high school students who compete is a combination of both.
Yes, Academic Decathlon is worth it for application because taking part in it can really help you get into college and win scholarships. Colleges and organizations that give out academic decathlon scholarships appreciate the effort, commitment, and smarts it takes to do well in this competition.
If you are looking for another great alternative for a standout extracurricular activity, consider the IRIS Program by Indigo Research. Designed as an intensive research program for high school students, it runs from March 2 to June 2, 2024.
By joining IRIS, you'll not only earn a certificate and transferable credits but also receive a transcript from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Plus, it's a fantastic opportunity to gain an edge in your college application journey.
